The present invention relates to oral cleaning devices such as toothbrushes and water jets and in particular to a self-contained oral cleaning device with a liquid jet feature.
Oral cleaning devices that employ a water jet feature are known in the art and such devices use an external supply of water. In one category of the prior art, a toothbrush is tethered or connected to a faucet. The water pressure from the faucet is used to propel the water through the toothbrush and out the head of the toothbrush and/or used to power a motor that is used to rotate or move bristles. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,304,010 discloses a toothbrush that includes a hollow body, an opening by the head of the toothbrush, and a water inlet that is tethered and attached to a faucet. In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,997 discloses a toothbrush that is also tethered to a faucet. However, the toothbrush uses the water pressure to power an impeller to move bristles on the head of the toothbrush. In both patents, the water is already pressurized and flowing; the water also cannot be stagnant because the toothbrush does not include any mechanism, on its own, to propel the water out of the toothbrush. Additional toothbrushes that are tethered to a faucet or external source of running water may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,192, discloses a toothbrush tethered to a shower head; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,500,973 and 4,257,433, disclose toothbrushes tethered to faucets; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,412,823, discloses a toothbrush tethered to an external source of water that is pumped into and through the toothbrush.
In another category of prior art, electric toothbrushes are connected to an external reservoir of water. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,429 combines a mechanical toothbrush with a water jet feature. The motor used to move the bristles is also used to draw water from an outside source, not contained within the toothbrush. The water is drawn from the outside source, propelled through the neck of the toothbrush, and expelled out of the head of the toothbrush. Other electric toothbrushes which are tethered to a source of water include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,958,629 and D318,918.
Various problems in both categories exist and are associated with the fact that the toothbrush must be tethered or connected to an outside source of water. In the first instance, when the toothbrush is tethered to a faucet, the user cannot use the toothbrush to spray other liquids such as antiseptic solutions. In the second instance, when the toothbrush is connected to an outside reservoir of water, the user""s range of motion is limited as the end of the tether must remain in the outside reservoir at all times. In addition, when an electric toothbrush is tethered to an outside source, the user cannot control the force in which the water is propelled out of the toothbrush. The force is pre-set by the speed of the motor and can only be turned on or off. Furthermore, the units are bulky and are not made to be portable, oftentimes causing the user to own a separate toothbrush for traveling.
With the onset of mechanical and electrical toothbrushes the total cost of the oral cleaning devices have increased. To offset the overall price of the devices the heads of the toothbrushes have been made replaceable. As such, after the bristles become worn from continual use, the head may be replaced without replacing the whole unit. However, the worn heads are simply replaced with an identical head to provide the same type of cleaning. The ability to interchange heads to provide different types of cleaning, for example to interchange heads to provide a water jet for removing plaque, to provide a brush with water jet for cleaning teeth and gums, and to provide a brush or scraper with water jet for cleaning the tongue, is not widely incorporated with prior art oral cleaning devices.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a self-contained, total oral cleaning device that incorporates a nozzle for jetting a pressurized fluid into a user""s mouth. The oral cleaning device in accordance with the present invention includes a reservoir for holding a liquid and a pump for pressurizing the liquid contained in the reservoir. The reservoir is contained within the oral cleaning device eliminating the need to tether the device to a faucet or attach the device to an outside source of liquid. The oral cleaning device also includes a means for releasing the pressurized liquid contained within the reservoir out of the oral cleaning device. The oral cleaning device is completely portable and assists the user in cleaning their entire mouth, including the tongue, gums, and teeth, by providing interchangeable heads. The present invention also provides the ability to change the force of the liquid jetting out of the oral cleaning device. Since the user must both fill the reservoir with a liquid and pressurize the liquid by pumping air into the reservoir, the user can change the force of the liquid jetting out of the reservoir by changing either the amount of air pumped into the reservoir or the initial amount of water. In addition a maximum pressurization will be predetermined by setting a pressure-release valve in the device as well as marking a optimum fill-line on the reservoir.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a handheld portable self-contained oral cleaning device is provided that includes a refillable reservoir, which a user may be able to partially fill with a liquid up to a predetermined desired level. The reservoir, which acts as a modular handle, includes an on-board pump that a user uses to pressurize the liquid contained in the reservoir. In addition, the number of pumps a user pumps air into the reservoir determines the force of the liquid expelling (explained in greater detail below). The pressurized liquid may then be sprayed out of the oral cleaning device to assist in cleaning the user""s mouth. Various interchangeable heads are incorporated herewith to provide the user with a total cleaning experience. First, a head with a nozzle that provides the user with a high-pressure jet of liquid to remove plaque and simulate flossing between teeth and gums. Second, various shaped heads with bristles and a nozzle to provide the user with different brushes to clean teeth and their tongue as well as a jet of liquid that may be turned on to assist in cleaning gums or freshening breath. Lastly, a tongue scraper head with a nozzle, which also assists the user in cleaning their tongue and provides a jet to spray liquid such as water or antiseptic directly onto their tongue while they are scraping.
Numerous other advantages and features of the invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims, and from the accompanying drawings.